Conventional oil paintings done on canvas and a wide variety of graphic art displays are commonly mounted in or stretched over wooden frames. Although the wood is frequently dried and assembled so as to prevent the frame from warping, improper construction and neglect of frames often causes them to become distorted. Once a frame starts to warp, it is difficult to restore it to its proper shape. Where the frame distorts the original flat shape of an old canvas or other brittle backing, forcing the work back suddenly into its original shape will sometimes crack the paint or tear the surface of the display.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties of conventional picture frames by providing a support to hold them and to prevent them from warping.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a way of straightening a frame over a period of time by applying slow, even pressure to its warped portion--thereby correcting the warp without damaging the artwork.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for holding or straightening a circular, irregularly shaped or multisided frame.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a structure for supporting and straightening frames that may be adjusted to fit frames of different shapes and sizes.